English Translation and Notarization of Birth Certificate for Green Card

A birth certificate is required when submitting I-485. Chinese people of my age, especially those from remote rural areas, likely have no birth certificate at all. When I asked my father, he had no idea such a thing existed. I explained it was the certificate issued by the hospital at birth. My father said, you were born at home with a midwife—how could there be a hospital certificate!

My Birth Certificate Translation and Notarization

When I applied for a green card, my father handled the notarization and translation at the county government notary office in our hometown. Excluding the cover, it totaled 4 pages:

• A Chinese notarial certificate certifying the applicant's place of birth and parents.

• An English translation of the above Chinese notarial certificate.

• A Chinese notarial certificate certifying that the above English translation is accurate.

• An English translation of the above Chinese notarial certificate.

Below are the 4 pages of the notarized translation. Because this is a personal document, I have obscured all sensitive information and added a watermark.

Birth Certificate Page 1/4

Birth Certificate Page 2/4

Birth Certificate Page 3/4

Birth Certificate Page 4/4

Application Process

The process of obtaining a notarized birth certificate is not complicated. If the applicant is not in China, parents can handle it on their behalf by bringing the household register, ID cards of both parents and the applicant, and a color ID photo to the local notary office in their jurisdiction. However, note: if the household registration was moved due to school or work, and the household register cannot show the relationship between the applicant and parents, a proof of relationship such as "I am me" or "my father is my father" may need to be obtained from the place of household registration; if the birthplace is not recorded on the household register, a certificate must be obtained from the police station or neighborhood committee. Implementation may vary by location, so it is advisable to be prepared for extra trips.

The notarized document needs a photo (see the Department of State requirements below). My notarized document used a 2×2 inch U.S. passport-sized photo; however, a friend's notarized document used a Chinese 'two-inch' ID photo, i.e., 330 x 480mm, and was also accepted by USCIS and successfully used to obtain a green card. The Department of State requirements do not mention photo size, so I think it should not matter.

• {https://gonglue.us/17269}

• {https://gonglue.us/15851}

U.S. 2×2 ID photo laid out on 4×6 photo paper {https://gonglue.us/122113}

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Fees

I spent a total of 500 RMB on the notarization, including 300 RMB for notarization and 200 RMB for translation. The translation was provided by the notary office; regardless of the translation quality, it just needs to be accepted by the immigration authorities! Note that these fees are from many years ago, and charges may vary by location.

The 'Medical Certificate of Birth' Cannot Be Used as a Substitute

My child was born in the United States; I never obtained a birth certificate for myself before going abroad, so I have never seen a physical Chinese birth certificate. According to information available online, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Public Security began issuing the 5th edition of the 'Medical Certificate of Birth' on January 1, 2014, a sample of which is shown below in both Chinese and English. Note: This 'Medical Certificate of Birth material' does not meet USCIS requirements! See the U.S. Department of State's explanation below.

The new version of the 'Medical Certificate of Birth' introduced in 2014; image: Eastday

U.S. Department of State Requirements for Birth Certificates

According to the explanation on the Department of State website, the requirements for "Birth Certificates" are as follows; to avoid confusion, pinyin annotations are even provided: it must be a "Gong Zheng Shu" notarial certificate made by a "Gong Zheng Chu" notary office, including the name of the "Gong Zheng Yuan" notary public—how thoughtful!

Document Name: Notarial certificate ( Gong Zheng Shu )

Issuing Authority: Local Notary Public Office (Gong Zheng Chu)

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: A notarial birth certificate normally contains a watermark, seal, and red stamp. It indicates the applicant's name, gender, date of birth, ID number, place of birth, and both parents' names. NOTE: Notarial birth certificates issued prior to 2012 may not list the ID number. All notarial documents must have an English translation, and be attached with a certificate stating that the English translation is in conformity with the Chinese original.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Notary Public (Gong Zheng Yuan)

Registration Criteria:

• A National ID and household registration (Hu Kou Bu). If the applicant lives abroad, a copy of his or her passport is also required.

• One of the following three documents: Birth certificate (Chu Sheng Zheng Ming Shu) or medical certificate of birth (Chu Sheng Yi Xue Zheng Ming) issued by the hospital Initial Birth Record issued by the Household Registration Department of the local Public Security Bureau Proof of birth issued by the sub-district office or the Personnel Department of Work Unit

• Photographs – at least two.

• A signed affidavit or authorization certificate from the applicant if someone other than the applicant applies for the certificate on his or her behalf. The authorized person also needs to provide his/her national ID.

• Documentation of both parents’ identification. If deceased, a death certificate is required.

• Other documents requested by the Notary Public (Gong Zheng Yuan).

Procedure for Obtaining:

• Complete an application and submit all relevant documents to the Notary Public Office (Gong Zheng Chu).

• The Notary Public then examines the documents. If the application is accepted, the applicant pays all related notary fees.

• Once the review of the submitted documentation is completed, the notarial birth certificate is issued.

Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available.

Alternate Documents: There are no alternate documents.

Exceptions: None

Comments: Applicants should check the website or contact their local Notary Public Office to obtain specific information regarding required fees and supporting documents.